Lafayette w



(No Model.)

L. W. SEAVEY.

SUPPORTING FRAME FOR PHOTOGEAPHIO BAGKGROUNDS.

No. 375,006. Patented Dec. 20,- 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAFAYETTE \V. SEAVEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SUPPORTING-FRAME FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,006, dated December 20, 1887.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LAFAYETTE W. SEAVEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Frames for Supporting and Storing Photographic Backgrounds; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a front and Fig. 2 a side elevation of inyim proved photographic-background frame.

My invention relates to a device for carrying a series of independent backgrounds for use in photographic studios.

It has for its object to permit of the safe storage, in neat convenient form, of a large number of independent backgrounds, and the ready display of any one of them for use as required. This object is attained in my invention by mounting a series of rollers, each carrying the canvas for a background rolled up thereon, upon an endless belt or pair of belts carried over a drum or pulleys mounted upon a suitable frame, as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, A A repre sent the standards, and B B the cross-bars, of an upright frame supported upon transverse base-pieces O G and mounted upon wheels or casters D D in any suitable manner.

E represents a rod or shaft mounted in suitable journal boxes or bearings formed centrally in or upon the upper end of the two standards A A, and P a detachable crank fitted upon one end thereof.

F is a similar rod or shaft mounted parallel with the shaft Eand belowit and at one side thereof in offsets or brackets G, as shown in Fig. 2.

H H are pulleys secured upon the shaft E just inside of each standard A.

I I are smaller pulleys secured upon the shaft F, each in line with one of the upper pulleys; and J J, two endless belts carried loosely, each, overone of the upper pulleys, H, and the corresponding lower pulley, I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

An equal number of counterpart journal boxes or bearings K K are secured upon the face of each belt J, and the ends of transverse rods L L, fitted to extend across from one belt to the other, are journaled in said boxes, and being thus supported at each end by the two belts form in combination therewith an endless chain of rotating shafts or rollers. One end of each roller L, or of a j ournal-pin therein, is made to project therefrom somewhat beyond its bearing, and is squared to receive a counterpart angular socket in a detachable crank, M, by which the roller may be rotated.

The different backgrounds N are painted in the customary manner upon flexible fabric or canvas. Each background is attached at its upper end to one of the rollers L, so as to be wound up thereon into a close compass.

A series of holes, R R, (see'F-i g. 2,) are pierced concentrically in the outer face of one of the upper pulleys, H, and a movable catch orhook, S, is attached or pivoted to the adjacent standard to enter said holes, and thereby lock the pulley and endless belt when the background to be displayed has been brought to the front.

A lateral step, T, may be provided on one of the standards of the frame to facilitate reaching the cranks for an adjustment or change of the backgrounds.

In the operation of my improved apparatus the backgrounds to be exhibited are rolled up upon the several rollers L L, and each roller is fitted at each end in the journal boxes or bearings K K, provided therefor on the endless belts J J. By this means a large number of different backgrounds may be compactly, conveniently, and with great economy of space stored away in good form upon an endless chain or belt whose length is determined by the number of backgrounds which it is desired thus to keep on hand, and is limited only by the height of the frame.- The endless chain of rollers is revolved to bring any desired roller to the frontby means of the crank P, and when the proper roller has thus been brought to the top of the frame and carried over, and preferably beyond the center, to about the horizontal plane of the upper shaft, E, the shaft and endless belt or chain is locked by means of the lateral hook or catch S, whose end is made to enter one of the holes in the outer face of the proximate pulley for this purpose. When the chain of rollers hasthus been locked, the background on the upper front roller may be unrolled and drawn down as a curtain until its lower end touches the floor, and the height of the scene or device upon the background may be readily adjusted to suit the height or position of the person to be photographed. The bottom of the background may also be drawn out to rest upon the floor and join the floor-cloth as a continuation thereof. As the lower 'end of the chain of rollers is drawn back out of theperpendicular by means of the lower roller, I, the background is left entirely free to depend vertically from its roller without contact with the rollers beneath it, as shown in Fig. 2. When a change is desired, this background is rolled up by means of the crank M, and another is readily brought to the front in place thereof in manner as described.

It is evident that a single drum extending across the width of the frame maybe mounted both upon the upper and lower shafts,E and F, and a single wide belt be carried over said drums to support the bearings for the rollers L L as an equivalent for the two separate endlessbelts J J, and also that automatic springrollers may be used for rolling up the backgrounds as a substitute for the plain rollers operated by a crank, M.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with a horizontal supporting shaft or drum, of an endless chain of parallel independently-rotating rollers car- 'ried over said shaft and adapted to receive flexible backgrounds, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. In a support for photographic backgrounds, the combination of an endless belt, a horizontal shaft or drum over which said belt is carried, a supporting-frame for said shaft, j ournal-bearings fitted to and carried upon the outer face of the belt, and independent parallel rollers mounted in said bearings, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with a suitable supporting-frame, pulleys mounted at the top thereof, and an endless chain of rollers carried over and depending from said pulleys, of a second set of pulleys mounted on the frame below the first at the rear of a vertical plane passing through their axes, and over which the lower end of the chain of rollers is carried, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combinatiomwith a suitable supporting-frame, pulleys mounted at the top thereof, and an endless chain of rollers carried over and depending from said pulleys, of a catch on the frame fitted to engage a series of apertures in the lateral face of one of the pulleys, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LAFAYETTE WV. SEAVEY. l/Vitnessesz A. N. J ESBERA, S. A. STAVERS. 

